About this seminar

Across the UK, local authorities are declaring a climate emergency, seeking to lead action at a local level to reduce carbon emissions, increase biodiversity, transition to net zero and ultimately improve the quality of life of their residents and the local environment.

In this session of Up Close & Policy, we explore how local authorities can partner with universities and academia to develop innovative solutions to answer climate challenges at the local level.

We will zoom in on the Net Zero Innovation Programme, a UCL - LGA (Local Government Association) initiative that brings together local policymakers and researchers to build the capacity and capability to deliver solutions tailored to the needs of local climate challenges. NZIP was a finalist of the COP26 Climate Challenge Cup.

Why should councils and researchers team-up to address local climate challenges? What are the barriers faced by academics and local authorities when engaging with each other? What does that engagement look like?

Join us to find out.

Click here to learn more about the Net Zero Innovation Programme.

Internal UCL Speakers

Dr Lucy Hubble-Rose, Deputy Director of the UCL Climate Action Unit, UCL

The Climate Action Unit works to change how scientists, policymakers, businesses, media, civil society organisations and citizens engage with each other about climate change. Our approach is underpinned by a systems-based understanding of why these groups are not acting at the scale and pace needed - and how this can be resolved.

Dr Isabela Butnar, Senior Research Associate, BSEER, the Bartlett, UCL

Isabela is an environmental sustainability scientist with a broad range of modelling experience in sustainability assessment of products and services. Isabella is working with Cambridgeshire County Council in a Net Zero Innovation project, co-creating fit-for-purpose tools to help estimation of council's scope 3 emissions and enable collaboration with its suppliers for a joined transition to net zero. Find out more about our project here.

External Speakers

Grace Abel, Programme Manager - Climate Change, Local Government Association

We are the national voice of local government, working with councils to support, promote and improve. The aim of the LGA’s Climate Change Sector Support Programme is to help councils to reach their local carbon reduction and adaptation targets. We produce tools, guides, podcasts, webinars, case studies, action learning sets and projects to help build councils’ capability and capacity in sustainability and the environment.

Emily Bolton, Climate Change Officer, Cambridgeshire County Council

About the series

Click here for further Up Close & Policy events

Beyond ministers and their advisers, policy decisions are informed and made by a wide group of people. This series looks at who they are, what they do and how the research community works with the world of public policy to inform decision making.

The Up Close & Policy Series features UCL researchers in open conversation with policy professionals drawn from a wide range of organisations. Come along for your chance to ask the experts about the opportunities and pitfalls in engaging with the world of public policy, find out the insights they have gained, and hear what they consider are the key lessons for successful engagement.

UCL Public Policy is committed to increasing the diversity and inclusivity of its activities. We encourage people from under-represented groups (BAME, LGBTQ+, a mature student, or disabled) to attend.